Blast from the Past
by The Lori C
Summary: WWE Superstar Paul London seemed to have it all going for him in the professional sense, but personally, he had had more than his share of struggles that he’s fought to overcome, only to have something catch up to him several years later.
1. NOTES

**NOTES**

WWE Superstar Paul London seemed to have it all going for him in the professional sense, but personally, he had had more than his share of struggles that he's fought to overcome.

Now adding to it all is another thing that has caught up to him after ten years, in the forms of a girl name Brittany and her mother, Lori Anne. Will things work out for all of them in the end?


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Lori Anne Remington didn't want to do this; as she now sat in the waiting room of a bare bones of an office, she thought that it was a total downgrade in her life to be sitting here doing the exact thing she'd vowed she would never reduce herself to doing: applying for state aid.

She had recently lost her job as an office manager when the plant where she had been working was bought out and the company taken overseas. The unemployment compensation insurance had barely covered the basic needs for both Lori Anne and her ten year old daughter, Brittany.

She had always taken pride in raising Britt alone, not having to ask for anything and never even mentioning the girl's father, much less trying to find where he was.

But now the unemployment insurance was about to run out, the savings had dwindled to their last 500 in the bank, and there were no job prospects in sight for Lori Anne. And now she was in dire straits.

After nearly an hour of waiting, she was finally called back to meet with a caseworker, who went over the paperwork and information Lori Anne had provided, before coming to a part of her application, and then paused.

"Ms. Remington," he asked. "Do you receive support from Brittany's father?"

Lori Anne shook her head. "I haven't heard from or gotten a nickel from him since I'd gotten pregnant with her. I don't even know where he is, and she's never known her dad or asked about him."

She then dug into her bag and handed over a slip of paper. "This is Britt's birth certificate with the information you might need, though. But why ask if I'm getting support?"

The caseworker nodded. "It's a state regulation that custodial parents receive some form of child support or be in pursuit of receiving it in order to get some forms of state aid."

"Oh God," she groaned. "I'm being turned down."

"Not quite," the caseworker said. "I can put your application for benefits through today for receiving aid on a temporary need basis. You can get some assistance at present, but you must start proceedings to get child support for your daughter to have your benefit status changed or they will be cut off."

"With _what, _my looks? I don't have the funds for a lawyer."

"I can refer you to an attorney that is connected with our office. It will not cost you anything and they will handle all the work that is needed to get your support payments."

Lori Anne perked at the thought. "All of the work? You mean including finding Britt's dad?"

"Including that, yes. We've had quite a success rate with mothers in situations just like yours."

"To be honest, I never thought about pursuing it. I've always worked a good job and was able to care for her myself. But since the plant closed….well, things have been tough. It's not easy for a woman of forty seven to find a job that paid as well as the previous one and with my skills, I've gotten nothing but excuses that I'm 'overqualified.' I really didn't want it to come to the point I had to be in this office today. But I need something until I can find _some _kind of work, even if it's waiting tables eventually."

"I just wish more people who come in here had your attitude, Ms. Remington. Most of them act like the world owes them a living. But you're the kind of people I really would like to help, because not only is it clear that you have your child's interest in mind, but also you are doing your best to make your situation better."

He then pulled out a card. "Here is the name of the attorney. Tell them when you call for an appointment that I referred you. And I will put your paperwork through today. Expect your first benefits to be arriving in a couple of weeks."

Lori Anne sighed in relief, despite not liking the idea of pursuing the child support situation, but what other option was there?

Now it was sitting Britt down and telling her the entire story. And that was not going to be an easy task, especially after ten years.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Paul looked over the paper in his hand that had been delivered to him earlier, scratching his head in confusion.

This can't be right, he thought. I don't have any kids; why would someone be summoning me to a hearing to determine child support? The name Brittany Remington didn't even ring a bell.

His puzzlement wasn't lost on Brian, who asked what was going on.

"I got this summons to appear to a child support hearing," Paul replied.

"You got something to tell me?"

"Dude, I don't have kids. I think someone messed up somewhere and this got to the wrong person."

"Give me that." Brian snatched the paper and read it over. "It's got _your_ name on it, man. What happened here, you forget to pull out fast enough one time while fucking some ring rat?"

"Very fucking funny. The kid in question is ten years old."

"You've been with chicks off and on for that long. Doesn't mean anything."

"Yeah, but if that were the case, wouldn't the mother come after me long before this? You know how women are when they smell money and status."

"Good point. You going to have that checked out?"

Paul sighed. "Even if it is a mistake, I better get it cleared up."

_Meanwhile:_

"Britt, I need to talk to you," Lori Anne said.

"What about?" the girl asked. "Is this about me getting my period and stuff? We learned all that at school."

"I know, sweetheart, and we've already been over that along with your body starting to change too, remember? No, this is something a little more important and I should prepare you."

"Prepare me for what?" Brittany asked.

"Britt, do you know that wrestler you love so much?"

Brittany smiled brightly. "Paul? Yeaaaaah. And I think it's really cool how you met him and stuff before I was born."

"Yeah," Lori Anne sighed. "It's been ten years since that happened. Anyway, I'm going to cut to the chase. There's a few things I didn't tell you because I wanted to wait until you were a little older, but you're smart and mature for your age, and I think you need to know the whole story. He and I got together after we met and—"

Brittany's eyes grew big. "Oh,man! Mom, are you saying you and he….._did it?"_

Lori Anne felt her face get hot. "Yes. And Britt, I never saw him again after that, at least not in person. It wasn't long after that I found out I was pregnant."

"Wait a minute, Mom. Are you saying you had another baby before me? I got a brother or sister somewhere?"

"No, Brittany. You're the only child I ever had. Difficult as it may be for you to believe….honey, Paul is _your_ father."

Brittany sat in stunned silence for a long time, not sure how to take the news that her mother just told her. She had wondered about her daddy being out there somewhere from the time she was little and started school.

Brittany had seen her other friends' fathers from time to time, but she didn't want to bring up the subject of her own daddy because she was afraid of hurting her mom's feelings. Her mother had sacrificed so much for her, after all, and they were so close.

But why was Mom telling her about her father _now, _and even more so, the chance the star Britt had admired so much being the man that fathered her?

Why hadn't he come looking for her? Didn 't he love her? Did he hate her mom? What was the deal?

There was a house show coming up in a few weeks; Brittany thought maybe she could get some kind of answers then, at least she hoped so.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ms. Remington?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked when Lori Anne picked it up on the third ring.

"Yes, this is she."

"It's Christine Stover from Neighborhood Legal Services." Stover had been the attorney the state aid caseworker had referred Lori Anne.

"Oh, yes. Good afternoon, Ms. Stover. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I wanted to let you know that the man named as Brittany's father has been served with the summons to appear for a child support hearing. I have heard from his attorney and a court date has been set."

Lori Anne had felt a pit in her stomach. "When?"

"June fifth at ten AM in Family Court. The DNA results are in and they will also be presented at the hearing."

"I just hope he doesn't think this whole thing was _my_ idea, Ms. Stover. I really didn't want to drag Paul through this, but it was the only way I could get any assistance from the state for more than sixty days until I find another job. Britt's also asking a lot of questions and I really can't give her any firm answers, at least right now."

"I know, Ms. Remington, and I will try to make this as simple as possible."

"She doesn't have to be at the hearing, does she?" Lori Anne asked anxiously.

"No. It will you, the respondent, and both attorneys before the judge. He will review the DNA results and make the ruling accordingly. It shouldn't take more than an hour, based on past experience. If the respondent is confirmed to be Brittany's father, an order of support will be made based on the respondent's earnings."

Oh God, Lori Anne thought. Paul's going to think I'm a blood sucker for sure; first I didn't contact him for ten years, now here I am. I don't want this. I don't!

"But that will be according to _our _state laws, right?" she finally asked. "He doesn't live here; he's in Texas."

"More than likely the judge will rule within our laws since you and Brittany are residents here," Christine replied.

"It's….it's not going to be an outrageous amount, is it? If I had to do this, I just need enough to take care of my daughter without compromising _his_ situation. He needs to live too."

"I can't really say. That decision will be up to the judge. But I will be honest and say that you have to be the first child support client I've represented that was as concerned about the father's living situation as well as your own. Most women want to bleed their kids' fathers for every nickel they can get."

"Which is why Paul wasn't contacted for anything up until now. I didn't want him to think I was some gold digger using Brittany to siphon a few extra dollars out of him."

"Of course not, but you are also forgetting one thing, Ms. Remington. Brittany could be as much as this man's child as she is yours. He should be obligated to aid in her support at some point, at least until she turns eighteen or finishes a post-secondary education, depending on what the judge orders."

"Well, yes, but it still bothers me to some extent to burden him like this."

"I know it does, which is why I want to proceed with this in the least difficult way possible. We should have some definite answers on June fifth nevertheless."

_Meanwhile:_

Attorney Jack Chase glanced at the paperwork before him and then at the man sitting across from his desk.

Paul was now thirty-eight; for the last ten years, he had lived his life as he normally had wrestling, being with friends, paying bills, the everyday things that came with working and living. He hadn't even _known _about a kid named Brittany until he'd gotten that damn summons to undergo a DNA test and then appear for a hearing.

The test and the hearing he could have dealt with—if it had been held at home. But the summons for it ordered him to appear in a _Pennsylvania _family court, and it had been a pain in the ass to find a lawyer who was certified to practice there willing to represent an out of state client.

Paul's luck had changed somewhat when one of the guys (also from Texas) told him about Jack Chase, a family law attorney that not only practiced in Texas, but had also recently passed the Pennsylvania state bar to practice there.

In any event, he just hoped this kid _wasn't_ his and he could come home and proceed with life as before. Otherwise, how in the blue hell was he going to explain having a ten year old daughter all of the sudden?

"How bad is it?" Paul finally asked.

"It depends," Chase nodded, looking up from the paperwork again. "The good news is that the DNA results are back from the lab and the hearing is scheduled for June fifth."

"And the bad news?"

"If the test shows you are indeed this girl's father, chances are the judge is going to order a child support payment until the child is of majority age or out of college."

"Wait, _out of college?" _Paul wondered. "I could be saddled paying for this kid clear through then? I thought it stopped when the kid was eighteen."

"It may work that way here," Chase replied, "but in Pennsylvania, the custodial parent can request additional support until the child successfully completes a post-secondary education or it can cease when the child withdraws from college."

"Jesus Christ…" Paul sighed. "Why doesn't this woman try to take everything but my balls while she's at it?"

Chase leaned back on his chair. "That's just the thing. Ms. Remington's attorney informed me that she was reluctant to file for support in the first place; it was required for her to do so in order to receive some kind of financial assistance from the state for herself and her daughter. The lady lost her job and her unemployment insurance was about to expire. And speaking from experience, jobs in Pennsylvania are not easy to come by."

"Holy shit….I didn't think things were that bad. Wait, did you say _Remington?"_

"That's the name of the mother," Chase nodded. "Why?"

"I knew a woman about ten years ago by that name. Lori Anne Remington. We talked a lot back then, we even met up one night, and then I never saw or heard from her again after that meeting."

"Well, guess what? You will be again, because that happens to be the name of the plaintiff."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_June 5, 9:30 AM:_

Lori Anne sat outside of the courtroom at the Family Court Division, tapping her foot and looking around for Christine Stover. She had been dreading this day ever since the attorney had given her the news.

Brittany was out of school for the summer, and luckily for Lori Anne, the Ward family next door said they would have no problem keeping an eye on Britt. At least that was one less thing Lori Anne had to worry about.

The hearing was scheduled to start in half an hour, and it turned out that Christine had been conferring with Jack Chase, Paul's attorney, on some last minute details before finally heading Lori Anne's way.

"So where are we now?" she asked slowly.

Christine nodded. "I have a feeling that this is going to go easier than I thought."

Lori Anne perked up slightly. "Oh?"

"Yes; I'm guessing that this won't take more than half an hour. Judge Freeman is looking everything over now, and we should be starting shortly."

"All right."

"And there might be a reasonable support figure offered, according to Mr. Chase, depending on the DNA results."

"How reasonable are we talking?" Lori Anne wondered.

"Possibly one thousand per month."

"One thousand…good lord! I was thinking it would be a small figure; I don't want to bleed the man!"

"Ms. Remington, compared to some orders Judge Freeman has been known to give out, one thousand _is_ a small figure. He's a tough judge that has the interests of children in mind and doesn't look well upon deadbeat parents. I can guarantee that if this guy is Brittany's father–"

"He is," Lori Anne interjected. "He was the only guy I was with before I was pregnant. I hadn't been with anyone for almost a year before that."

"Anyway," Christine continued, "if it is confirmed he's Brittany's father and he's as much as one hour late with the support payments, Judge Freeman will think nothing of dragging him back here to serve jail time until it's paid."

"My God," Lori Anne sighed. "_That_ bad?"

"Freeman doesn't fool around when it comes to things like this," Christine replied with a nod. "We got one of the toughest judges in the business. So are you ready to head in? He's not one that likes to wait for people, either."

"Sure," Lori Anne sighed, "let's get this over with."

_Another area of the courthouse:_

"So what's going to happen?" Paul asked.

"The judge is reviewing some paperwork now and I've talked to the petitioner's attorney," Jack Chase replied. "We shouldn't be in here more than half an hour."

"All right. So on the off chance this kid _is_ mine, what's going to happen?"

"Well, if you're not the father, you go back to Texas and get on with your life as if nothing happened. On the other hand, if you are this girl's father, the judge will look at your income and assets, along with the child's needs, and make an order accordingly."

"What about….you know, visitation?"

"Way ahead of you," Chase replied with a grin. I've petitioned a visitation order should Brittany be your daughter, which was one thing I was conferring with Ms. Stover about. That should also be hammered out once the DNA results are read."

"Okay, I guess I can live with that."

"Look, it's normal to be nervous," Chase reassured him. "But I'm sure things should go well. Be warned, though, that this is a very tough judge. If a support order is put into place and you much as miss one payment, Freeman will throw you in jail without a second thought."

"Is it that…" Paul began.

Chase nodded. "He's one of the toughest in the family court system. Then again, he's a huge champion for kids and their needs."

"Speaking of which, is there a chance I could meet this girl?"

"I don't see why not, but that would be up to the judge, based on the test results, of course. We'll know more how to proceed once this is all over. But right now, we better go in before the judge raises the roof about us being late. When he says ten o'clock, he doesn't mean two minutes after."

_The hearing:_

After each attorney presented their case, Judge Peter Freeman reviewed everything in front of him for several minutes.

Paul was indeed the father of Brittany JoAnne Remington; Freeman read the DNA results out loud to confirm that fact.

Oh God, Paul thought, how am I going to explain this, especially after ten years?

In the interim, he'd gotten a glimpse at Lori Anne; it had been ten years since he'd seen her last, but it looked as if she hadn't aged a day. She looked a little thinner, but still had the full breasts and hips she'd had back then, along with the shining auburn hair that all had initially drawn him to her.

Judge Freeman then ordered that the sum of one thousand dollars a month would be paid for Brittany's support. It hadn't really fazed Paul much; he expected to be siphoned for more than that.

Lori Anne, however, still couldn't believe it; it was near the same amount she'd pulled down each month while she was working. Nevertheless, she thought it was a bit exorbitant, but if that was what the judge ordered, she would just have to deal with it.

A short time later, once the hearing had ended, she had just walked out of the courtroom with Christine and the two women had just parted ways when Lori Anne heard her name being called out.

"_Lor!" _Paul said, nearly catching up to her.

She turned, facing him. "Look," she began, "for the record, this whole thing wasn't my idea. I wasn't out to bleed you for anything."

He nodded. "I know that; my lawyer told me as much. But why now. Why didn't you say something back at the beginning?"

"Again, I didn't want anything from you. It was my situation and I needed to deal with it."

"Well, I guess what is done is done. But now that it's clear we have a kid, I'd like to be part of her life for something besides sending a check every month."

Lori Anne was stunned. "You mean you aren't upset with being dragged up here for a hearing?"

"I was a little concerned at first, but no, not upset at all. And excuse me for saying so, but you're looking pretty good."

She smiled. "As are you. So do you have any other plans?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Well, it's only right that you meet your daughter. I'm on my way home to pick Britt up from the neighbors now. She always loved you and never missed a show every week. I think she's really going to be stunned once she knows for sure you're her dad."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When he laid eyes on Brittany the first time, Paul was taken aback a little. She was a pretty little girl, and though she was as fair skinned and blue eyed as her mother, Britt had most of her dad's features and dark hair.

"Your mom was right about one thing," he smiled at her. "You are a pretty girl."

"Yeah, um, thanks," Brittany said slowly. "So you're really my dad?"

"Looks that way. Britt, didn't Mom talk to you about this?"

Brittany shrugged. "Not much till lately. You know, I wondered sometimes about my dad since I was little, but I didn't talk to Mom about it because I'd be afraid she'd get mad. But when she told me a few weeks ago, I didn't really believe it at first. I thought she was teasing or something."

"I don't think your mom would tease about something this serious. But she never brought it up before?"

"No. And when I ask why she didn't tell you and stuff before, she said she didn't because she wanted to raise me by herself and was afraid you wouldn't like her anymore."

"Why would she think I wouldn't like her anymore?" Paul wondered.

"I guess it was because she was having me," Brittany replied, wide eyed. "She said you mentioned one time you didn't want kids and stuff, and you'd be mad because she was having me. So she didn't say nothing for a long time. Mom didn't even want to now, but for us to get help, she had to do that court thing to get money for me because she lost her job."

"Britt," he began, "let me tell you something. Yeah, I wasn't ready to be a dad ten years ago. But I can say if I knew your mother was pregnant, I'd found a way to take care of both of you, no matter how I felt. I just wish she'd said something, but what is done is done."

"You mean you'd been with us and stuff?"

"Of course I would have. Your mom didn't honestly think I'd be that callous, did she?"

Brittany shrugged. "I don't know. But she said she didn't want to bother you with this kind of stuff."

"I kind of wish she had. I've already missed the first ten years of your life."

"It's okay; you're here now and know who I am. We can do other stuff for a long time if you want, when you have time."

Paul nodded and smiled. "I'd like that."

"Are you gonna stay long?" Brittany asked.

"Well, I do have a show in a couple of days, but other than that, I don't see why not since I'm here anyway. So what do you like to do?"

The girl smiled back, telling him all her favorite things. "I can show you my room if Mom says it's okay," she added.

"It's perfectly fine, Brittany," Lori Anne spoke up, standing in the doorway and smiling at both of them.

"How long have you…." Paul began.

"Just a couple of minutes," she nodded. "Long enough to hear that you want to spend time with Britt here."

"Can he, Mom?" Brittany asked hopefully.

Lori Anne nodded. "All the time he likes. Just don't wear him out while you're doing it."

"Like I'll ever get worn down by a ten year old," Paul laughed.

"Evidently, you'll need to get to know your daughter here a little more before you get too confident, mister," she laughed back. "I wouldn't be too quick to underestimate Britt here."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lori Anne had been sitting around with some of her closest girlfriends one morning several weeks later while Brittany was away at camp, thanks to the generosity of one of Lori Anne's own grown nieces, who had also sent her own son and Lori Anne's great nephew, Logan.

He and Brittany had become good friends, and Loni had figured the two of them would do well at camp, and she had offered to pick up the cost for both kids, insisting to her favorite aunt that it wouldn't be a problem, and consider it a birthday present for Britt anyway.

Frankly, as she looked back on it and discussed it with her friends presently, if it hadn't been for Loni, the state assistance, and Lori Anne herself threatening to turn Paul into Domestic Relations to have Judge Freeman swear out a warrant each time the support was going to be late, she wouldn't be too far ahead at all.

"That's right, girl, stand up for the rights for single parents and spurned women everywhere!" her friend Karen bellowed encouragingly when Lori Anne hung up the phone triumphantly. "Don't take bullshit from _any_ man!"

"Jesus, Karen, pipe down," Grace laughed. "If it were up to you, the guy would have no balls by now."

"Damn straight," Karen replied. "And in my case, my ex knows that's exactly what the hell will happen when he's as much as _five minutes late _with the palimony check. So what did Domestic Relations say, Lor?"

Lori Anne nodded. "I should have it in my hands by Friday; if not, the matter will be sent over to the court and Judge Freeman will prepare a warrant for non payment. I can't believe of all people that would turn out to be all but a deadbeat."

"Face it, honey, ninety nine percent of men are deadbeats. Take it from someone who's been there and done that," Eileen piped up.

"I'm with Eileen there," Carrie agreed. "And it isn't like the prick doesn't have the money. So much for thinking so well about his kid and wanting to help you. Fucking liar, just like all men. If it hadn't been for Loni paying for it, that little girl of yours wouldn't have been able to go to camp this year."

"And it's not really the money I'm pissed about," Lori Anne continued. "It's that this whole thing is hurting Britt in the long run. Ever since it was established he was her dad, not only had it been a pain in the ass to get the checks for her, there is also the fact he's seen her exactly _twice_ for a grand total of two hours each time despite the fact I've made it clear he can see her any time he wanted, because I know his schedule. But still, there's always some excuse."

"Not to mention I have yet to see anything where he's even _mentioned_ her," Karen pointed out. "It's like he's ashamed of her or something."

"Poor little girl must be crushed," Grace said solemnly. "And to think how she idolized him."

"More than likely he's ashamed of _me," _Lori Anne spoke up thoughtfully. "I mean, think about it; I'm almost ten years older than the guy, not exactly some teenager or some twenty something hottie whose boobs are larger than their IQ, not some model or celebrity that he can attach his name to, or anything like that. And I have a child besides."

"In other words, he's a shallow piece of shit," Carrie nodded. "Just like every other man. Next."

"And a deadbeat that has to be threatened with jail time to cough up the support for his own kid," Karen added. "Yeah, a real catch there. Girl, you are so better off without that prize."

"His damn loss anyway," Eileen agreed. "Brittany's probably the _only_ good thing that came out of that brief period in your life."

Lori Anne shook her head sadly. "Much as I hate to agree, at this point, I'm beginning to think so."

"Speaking of good things," Grace spoke up, "there are some jobs opening up at my company. That is, if you don't mind the typing pool."

Lori Anne perked up. "I'm not too proud to go for the typing pool. What exactly does all of this entail, Grace?"

"Well, for starters, the benefits are pretty damn good. And you have more than enough office experience that you'd have no problem getting hired. I'm shocked they have openings to begin with, being that the general turnover is so low. It's a real good place to work; it's very casual. You'd love it. So how about it? You want to apply?"

Lori Anne grinned. "Just say where to go and I can be there tomorrow."

"I was thinking more this afternoon but what the hell. I could give you some pull."

"So what are we waiting for? I can get cleaned up and we can go down there around one thirty?"

Grace nodded and smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

"Can you feel the love in this room right now?" Karen smiled, raising her tea glass. "Everything from going after deadbeat men to getting a job for one of our own. I love it."

"Amen to that," the other women agreed, toasting each other.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Where the hell are you?" Brian asked, sounding both anxious and pissed. "We have a show in four fucking hours and you're nowhere in sight."

"The county jail," Paul said flatly.

"_What? _Dude, this is no time to be joking around."

"Who said anything about joking around? My ass got locked up."

"For _what? _You don't go anywhere to cause any trouble. You don't do anything except hole up in the room and talk online with teenybopper fans half the damn night. If anyone should be getting busted for shit, it should be _me."_

"According to the booking papers, failure to pay child support."

"What the fuck….? Dude, I thought you took care of that!"

"Evidently not fast enough. Someone couldn't wait three days like I told them it would take and the next thing I knew, two cops were right at the rental car when I pulled up back at the hotel and hauled me down here."

Brian sighed. "What's the bond? We need to get you out of there not only before the show tonight, but also before someone gets wind of it and it gets all over the news sites, and then we'll really be fucked if that happens. Those wannabe writers would have a field day with shit like this, and much as I hate to say it, you're an easy target for a lot of them to begin with, especially that one lady reporter you managed to piss off not long ago. She'd really love getting hold of _this."_

"There's no bond. They're holding my ass until there's either a hearing or the amount is paid, along with the court costs. Lori Anne had me nailed to the wall good. I knew she had some fire in her, but Christ, I never guessed she was _this _vindictive."

"What's the amount and where does it need to be paid?"

"Dude, no one can exactly pull nearly three thousand dollars out of their ass in less than four hours, not even you."

"Don't count on that just yet. I'll get it somewhere, even if it kills me. Then I'll kill _you_ for being a dumb shit to land yourself in this situation in the first place."

_Meanwhile:_

Edie Edwards was a sharp journalist; before she'd gone into the wrestling genre four years earlier as a tribute to her late husband, she'd worked for several newspapers across the country as well as spent a year behind the scenes in broadcast news.

Most guys in the sport usually laughed off Internet reporters, but Edie Edwards was not the average one. Practically wrestler from the local indy circuits all the way up to the main eventers of WWE were scared shit of the woman, though it wasn't made known on their parts.

It was also common knowledge that Edie carried a grudge toward anyone that even did the most minor thing to rub her the wrong way and wouldn't fail to write an assassination piece on her latest target if she knew it would make a good story and drew hits to the site that employed her, a site which was both one of the most reputable and very top sites on the Internet. No one messed with Edie Edwards and emerged unscathed.

So when word got out via a guard at the local jail–one of many Edie's connections across the country–that Paul was in the lockup for being behind in child support payments, she pounced immediately.

The ungrateful bastard had all but shunned her the last time they had been in town for a show while being busy being fawned over by several teenage groupies and young party girls. Edie had been _pissed_ at the slight; after all, not long before, she'd busted her ass to do a huge, flattering feature article on him that drew record hits on the site that month, and he hadn't even as much as acknowledged her presence, much less thanked her.

Now would be the perfect revenge, she thought. Mr. Pretty Boy Clean Living Goody Goody being exposed to the world as a deadbeat dad.

Her webmaster and editor, Tim, would be totally drooling with excitement once he got word of this.

_Imagine the site hits, Edie! _she could hear him say now_. Imagine people from other sites seeing you got this story __**first**__! You'll be a fucking legend! _

Well, Edie thought, if I'm going to be a legend, I need to get in gear to find out the details, not to mention who Mama is and get the rest of the story from her view.

_At the same time:_

"Mom, I can't believe you'd put Daddy in jail!" Brittany cried during her weekly call from camp. "I know you're mad at him, but why that?"

"All right, let's get one thing straight off the top, Britt. I didn't put him there; he put himself there because he broke the law by not making payments. He was warned things like this would happen when we went to court in the beginning. I had nothing to do with the judge's decision to put him in jail."

"I don't care. It isn't fair. He doesn't belong there."

"He _does_, Britt. It may not be fair to you, but life isn't fair, period. He was ordered by law to make support payments for you each month. He failed to do that. Excuses don't pay for me to take care of you, even if I did just start this new job. And how did you find out he was there anyway?"

"One of the counselors said so," Brittany replied. "She said one of her friends that worked at the hotel where Daddy stayed saw the police take him away and heard one of them say he was going to jail for not paying you."

"Oh, God…." Lori Anne groaned.

"Are you gonna get him out?" Brittany asked.

"Honey, I can't. For one, he either has to go to a hearing or come up with three thousand dollars that he owes to be released and Lord knows I don't have that kind of money laying around here. Second, he needs to sit there and rot for a bit to get it through his thick skull that because he's a 'name' person doesn't mean he can get a pass on skirting the law when the average person gets punished much harsher for doing the same thing."

"You're still mad," Brittany said sadly.

"I'm not mad. I'm disappointed and merely stating a fact. I don't want you worrying about this, all right? I'm sure someone will help somewhere or perhaps he could be cut a break. We'll have to see. Now your time is almost up and we can talk next week. Maybe by then he'll be out and everything will be okay."

Lori Anne sighed when they hung up. She was hoping all of this would be blown over before her daughter had gotten any knowledge of what happened. No chance of that happening now.

The phone rang once again, a number on the Caller ID she didn't recognize. Thinking it was probably a telemarketer, she was about to go into a tirade about not being interested when a woman said she was doing a story…..


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Edie Edwards hadn't had much luck on following up on the tip from her jail guard source; she had contacted the media office at Domestic Relations, but no one had returned her calls.

Next, she tried both Judge Freeman's court clerk and secretary, both who had declined to comment on the case, and with what little she had gleaned from both her jail guard connection and the arrest report she'd managed to ferret out from yet another connection, Edie hadn't had much to piece together a juicy story after all.

And then her cell phone rang with a call that would change her luck for the better.

Karen Hurley had not only been one of the friends from Lori Anne's coffee klatch, she had also been a sorority sister of Edie's in college and kept in touch with her on a regular basis.

When she'd gotten word that Paul had been tossed behind bars, Karen had dialed Edie's phone most of the afternoon, getting the voice mail. Now her old sorority sister picked up.

"Finally!" she cried. "I've been trying to get you all afternoon!"

"Karen, I may be on to a big story here; I don't have much time for chit chat," Edie responded.

"Which is exactly why I called you. That story wouldn't be about London in the slammer for being a deadbeat, would it?"

Edie stopped short. "How did you guess? Do you know something?"

"Let's just say I know some_one_ that can give you some additional gory details."

"I already talked to people at the jail and saw the police report, Karen. You have to do better than that."

"Will you keep your thong on, Edie? I happen to be a very good friend of the mother."

Edie grabbed a pad and pen quickly. "Did you say…._the mother?"_

"What, did I stutter? Yes, the kid's mother. She and I are good friends. As a matter of fact, we kind of have this coffee circle thing every Friday morning, which is how I found out Mr. Deadbeat Dad got his ass tossed in the clink by two linebacker sized coppers."

"Well, does Mom have a name?"

"I can not only give you a name, but also an address and phone number. I can also bet as pissed off as she is, she'll sing like a canary and give you one hell of a story. Nothing like a mad mama who gets both screwed out of her child support and the old man skipping out on seeing his kid to have the woman spill it all, trust me."

"A name and phone number will suffice for now, Karen."

"Name's Lori Anne Remington," Karen said, giving out a phone number to Edie. "She just started a new job, but is off until Monday because they're painting the offices. Kid's away at camp, so it's a good time as any to catch her if you want that story. As you used to say when you worked on the college paper, always strike while the iron is hot."

"Oh the iron has definitely gotten hot again, thanks to you, Miss Hurley," Edie laughed. "And I am about to strike it big time."

"Let me know when all hell is about to break loose," Karen chuckled back.

"Trust me, Karen, in this day of the information age, it will be sooner than you think once Tim gets hold of all of this."

_Later:_

Lori Anne hadn't really wanted to do the interview with the woman reporter at first; she wasn't keen on wrestling news and rumor sites and often discouraged Brittany from reading them, blocking the majority of them from her daughter's computer.

But when the woman identified herself as Edie Edwards, Lori Anne knew who she was immediately. Even the most novice visitor to news sites knew about Edie and the website where she did reporting and her columns; she was perhaps one of the most powerful women writers online.

Lori Anne had seen many a star pushed or de-pushed just by an Edie Edwards article alone, that was how well respected (or feared, depending on whom one asked) the woman was, and though she'd blocked many sites from Brittany's computer, Lori Anne didn't block WrestleNews, especially Edie's features.

The site's owner and editor, Tim Sullivan, was a stickler for accuracy and the truth; having such a stellar reputation, he'd developed good relationships with several wrestling promotions, a feat not done by many sites.

And being his top reporter, Edie spoke nothing less than the truth, though her readers may not have always liked it.

Sullivan was also a hound for a good news story, and when Edie had told him about Paul being locked up for child support issues and about the tip from Karen, Sullivan gave her carte blanche to call Lori Anne for an interview. It would a story of the month and get tongues wagging, he said.

A wholesome-appearing dude as a deadbeat dad? Maybe not as big as the whole Benoit _sturm und drang_, but big nevertheless.

So when Edie called her about Paul's arrest on falling behind on child support, Lori Anne agreed to talk to her—on the condition that her child was not brought up. She valued the child's privacy and wanted it kept that way.

Edie agreed, and the interview proceeded. She was more interested in how the deadbeat son of a bitch cheated this poor, hard-working woman out of her rightful support anyway.

_Later that night:_

"You never did say where you came up with the three grand," Paul said.

"Like I said, for me to know and you to find out. You got sprung from the joint, didn't you?" Brian said, raising an eyebrow. "And barely in time for that house show or both our asses would have been on the line."

"For all that was worth. We lost anyway."

"Nice to see you still have such a sunny attitude."

"If you spent ten hours in jail, you wouldn't exactly be Mr. Smiley either, Midget."

"If you'd paid your fucking support on time like you were supposed to, you wouldn't have sat in jail for ten hours and I wouldn't have had to gone around like my ass was on fire scraping up three grand to get you out in order to save our jobs," Brian countered. "You're hanging on a string as it is. Instead of bitching, you should be kissing my ass. If it weren't for _me_, you'd be having 'we wish him luck in future endeavors' under your name right now and on your way back to Urban Outfitters."

"Okay, okay, you're right; I shouldn't be such a downer. It's been a shitty day. But wherever you got that money, thanks, man. I owe you one."

"Damn right you do, especially after I had to make excuses to people as to where you were all day, not to mention the weird looks I noticed when we came back to the hotel earlier."

"_What _weird looks?" Paul wondered.

"It's kind of hard to describe, but people kept staring."

"Dude, we've been in this company how long; people stare all the time. You just now figured that out?"

"I know that, dumb fuck," Brian rolled his eyes. "But these were different looks, most of them aimed at _you._"

"What, did I have toilet paper hanging off my shoe or something?"

"Who the hell knows with some people. Anyway, what's up tonight? You going to mess with your teen bimbos again?"

"Either that or deal with the loons downstairs," Paul said, opening his laptop and booted it. "And I'm not in the mood to deal with a crowd of idiots tonight."

"Good point. I'll get us some food in the meantime."

Several minutes passed while each was doing their own thing before Paul came across WrestleNews and went white.

"Fucking hell!" he bellowed.

"What?" Brian said, coming back over.

"Oh, God. Fucking WrestleNews. That skank Edie Edwards got hold of me being in jail today. Even the damn mug shot. It's all over the site as their top story. Christ!"

"Oh shit…" Brian muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"And that's just the beginning. Lori Anne talked to the fucking bitch! Not only is me being locked up on here for the world to see, but the whole bullshit from ten years ago too! Wasn't it enough she had me locked up? Did she have to have me barbecued on a spit via Edie Edwards too?"

"There has to be a reason she talked to the woman."

"Yeah, she's got a bug up her ass that I didn't write the checks fast enough to satisfy her so this was her way of getting even. That and having me thrown in jail."

"No, I don't think that's it, PL," Brian shook his head. "It has to go deeper than that. Granted she's got a bad temper and bullheaded as hell, but I don't think she had any say in you being locked up. And judging from what I read on this thing so far, if she was pissed off about the support thing, she'd mentioned the kid at least once. There's nothing in here at all about Brittany."

"What?"

"Nope. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada."

"Then why the hell would she agree to talk to that Edwards bitch if Britt wasn't mentioned?"

"I have a feeling it was for _that_ exact reason," Brian replied. "Her issue isn't with the child support and she probably agreed to talk only if Brittany wasn't brought into it. Her issue is likely with _you, _and something tells me you better find out what the hell it is before it blows up in all your faces, including your kid's."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"I cannot believe you talked to that bitch!" Paul cried over the phone to Lori Anne. "Edie fucking Edwards of all people!"

"Oh for crying out loud," Lori Anne sighed, "The last time I checked, there was no law against answering a reporter's questions. It isn't like I gave my whole life story."

"You gave a bunch of shit about ten years ago!"

"You never even mentioned your own daughter _once _in your own interviews. Problem?"

"Don't change the subject. How did that skank find you and how much were you offered?"

"I don't know; Edie said she found me through a friend. And I wasn't offered any money if that is what you're getting at. I only agreed to the interview if Brittany wouldn't be dragged into it."

"Wow, you mean you didn't put her on the chopping block along with me to get your fifteen minutes? It isn't enough your ranting gets me thrown in the joint, I got to come out and see that you also ran your mouth to Edie Edwards. Nice to see you having fun at my expense."

"Look, first of all, it wasn't my idea for you to be put in jail. I didn't hold a gun to Judge Freeman's head, all right? _He_ was the one who signed the warrant to have you brought in, not I. If you hadn't made six thousand excuses why things were going to be late, you wouldn't have gone to jail, I wouldn't have talked to Ms. Edwards, and we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. And before you start calling me a money grubbing bitch, keep in mind I pursued this for Britt. This is all for _her. _Do you know how many sacrifices I made the past ten years for that child so she could have a life of quality? This isn't about me. Not at all. And you were told by both your attorney and Judge Freeman way back when we were in court something like this would happen if you didn't keep your end up. So don't even think of making _me_ look like the bad person here."

"You still could have refused to comment."

"I could have, but I didn't. One, people were going to find out anyway, and two, being you kept Britt waiting the whole day when—"

"For fuck's sake, Lor! We had a show that night!"

"Of course you did," Lori Anne snapped. "You also were living up afterwards with a few of your buddies with a couple of large chested bimbos and three teenage chickadees to boot. Meanwhile, Britt sat here looking out the window all evening wondering when you'd appear to take her to that show and out to dinner afterwards. Too bad you decided to go whoring around instead. So much for loving your little girl."

"_What?"_

"Don't 'what' me. Eileen showed me the pictures. I had to give them back to her in order to keep Brittany from seeing them. Do you have any idea how I had to explain to her about you not showing up?"

"Okay, for starters, who the fuck is Eileen?" Paul asked.

"She happens to be a good friend of mine and Britt's godmother," Lori Anne answered.

"And she's the be all and end all, huh?"

"Pictures don't lie, buckaroo."

"Well, in this case, they do, because those girls were with the other guys. I had nothing to do with that shit. As a matter of fact, you can tell High Priestess Eileen that I went up to my room right after those were taken. _Alone."_

"Let me guess, you went upstairs, fired up the laptop, and got cozy with a few sixteen year olds online instead?"

"You're just a real barrel of laughs, aren't you?"

"Actually, I happen to be a good mother who looks out for her child's best interests. When someone hurts me, it's one thing and I can deal with it, but when I see Britt hurt, I have some serious issues with the people responsible for it."

"You know my schedule, Lor. I don't know why you're taking this the wrong way. Britt was okay with it when I talked to her."

"She's ten years old. Of course she's going to let it go; most kids do. Britt's got a big heart. And yes, I know your damn schedule, which is why I was generous enough to be flexible with the visitation. But you screwed that up not once, but _three damn times_. This last time was the final straw. And then there was the issue of the support payments. It's not the money; I got another job recently. It's the principle of the whole thing, and again, Britt's best interests in mind. I didn't want to go to Domestic Relations with this, but between that and you letting Britt down on the visitation thing while I sat by to hear her make excuses for you, I had no choice. I had to do _something. _Just because you are who you are doesn't make you any better or above any other parent in this country."

"Did I say that I was?"

"You didn't have to. You may have Britt snowed over, but I've been on God's green earth long enough to know better. I just hope this whole thing taught you something. Time to grow the hell up and take some responsibility. And when you're wrong, be fucking man about it for a change and admit it."

_Later:_

"You mean he called you?" Grace asked.

Lori Anne nodded. "Yeah. And of course it was the 'poor him' routine. Why did I talk to Edie, why did I have him thrown in jail, he didn't see Britt because he had a show that night, yada, yada, yada. You know during that call, he didn't ask about that girl once? As a matter of fact, the _only_ time he'd brought her up was when he said he'd talked to Britt about why he didn't show up on the last visitation and how she was okay with it."

"Self-centered dirtbag," Carrie snorted, sipping her coffee.

"Fucking scum," Eileen agreed. "They should have kept him locked up till a hearing and not given an option to come up with the money and then let Big Butch ass rape him for a few days before letting him out. Then he won't have no trouble ponying up money after that. Ha!"

"Sad thing is, Brittany still all but worships the ground he walks on, even in those times he missed visitation," Grace said sadly.

"And that is exactly what pisses me off," Lori Anne replied. "This is just one of many reasons I didn't want him in her life in the first place. Things were perfect until I went to apply for state aid and had to get a child support order to qualify. Christ."

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about state aid anymore," Karen nodded.

"Yeah, too bad I can't boot dickhead back out of my and Brittany's lives along with it."

"Look, honey, if I knew that giving your info to Edie to contact you for an interview would cause so much trouble, I wouldn't have done it," Karen sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Lori Anne waved her off. "This whole thing was bound to come out anyway, and besides, he's never mention Britt once since he knew about her. At least this way, with the whole deadbeat story out, people will be curious. Of course, Britt won't be mentioned by name, and I already made it clear no pictures will be released, but there will be general knowledge that she _does _exist while Britt still has some degree of privacy."

"And he'll still have to cough up the dough," Eileen grinned.

"He certainly will now," Lori Anne nodded. "I ripped him twenty new ones about a few things. And by the way, those pictures you showed me? Apparently he'd gone up to the room alone right after they were taken."

"Hmm, okay," Eileen replied. "So when he went up 'alone,' who was the lucky teenage floozy?"

"That's just it. None of them."

"And you _believed_ that bullshit?"

"Not at first, but for some odd reason as the conversation went on, I began to change my mind a little. Still, you gals have no idea how good it felt to stand up to someone like that."

"You should be proud," Grace beamed. "You did it all for your daughter."

"And if you don't look out for that kid, who will?" Eileen asked.

"Right on," Carrie agreed. "And as well as we know you, Lor, you would go to the ends of the earth to do anything for Brittany. Not many kids in this world are that damn lucky."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"I'm surprised to see you here," Lori Anne said skeptically when Paul showed up a few weeks later.

"We got a show here tonight. Didn't know I had to check in with my schedule," he responded.

"You don't. I was just a little surprised, that's all."

"Besides, I haven't heard from you or Britt since the blow up a couple of weeks ago."

"Britt's at camp," Lori Anne reminded him. "She can only make phone calls once a week and they're usually to me. As for me, I've been busy with my new job. But aside from that, I did want to say I'm sorry for being such an ass lately."

Paul shook his head. "You don't have to. If anyone had been being an ass, it's _me. _You're right; I should have spent more time with Britt when I could. It was stupid to blow her off like I did. You did what you did for Brittany. There's not many parents out there that would go to bat for their kids the way you do. And I'm sorry for giving you such a rough time because of that."

She smiled, her eyes lighting up the way he had always loved. "Apology accepted. So where _did_ you get the amount to get out of jail and get caught up on the support issue anyway?"

"Better ask Brian. He was the one who came up with it. According to him, though, it's for him to know and me to find out. He still hasn't told me to this day where he got it. I know he doesn't have three grand laying around to pull out of his ass, even if he does earn more than I do. I don't think that I have to even elaborate on how I got a royal ass chewing from him too."

"Yeah, I can almost imagine."

"Anyway, when is Britt due home from camp?"

"She should be home in a couple of weeks. Why?"

"Well, I thought maybe before she went back to school, she could–"

"Hold it," Lori Anne stopped him. "If you're thinking of dragging that girl around with you while you travel with a bunch of guys that use language no ten year old child should be hearing and carrying on like savages, perish the thought right now, mister."

"Will you let me finish? First of all, about the only people I've been hanging with lately are Brian and a few of the divas. Second, ninety percent of those guys in the locker room I wouldn't let anywhere within fifteen feet of Brittany, much less let them act like assholes and use dirty language around her. Brian would probably kick the balls off of any dude that even as much as _looked_ at Britt the wrong way, not to mention what _I'd_ do on top of that. This is my kid; of course I'm going to protect her. And I was only asking to take her to a few shows, not the rest of the summer."

She thought a moment. "Well, in that case, I can't see where it would be a problem, but on the condition that Britt stays with the two of you the whole time and she's with one of the ladies you're friends with when you guys are having a match. I don't want her left unsupervised for even _a second_. Is that clear?"

Paul gave her a mock salute and grinned. "_Comprendo bien."_

"Good. I'll let Britt know when she calls from camp this week. She's going to be quite happy to say the least. You know, in spite of the last few times you blew her off, she still loves her dad."

"She does?" He was almost shocked.

"Of course. But I will say if you blow her off this time, _I'm_ going to kick _your _balls off."

"I wouldn't have asked in the first place if I was going to blow her off, Lor. Jesus. Will you let it go? Britt already did."

She nodded. "You're right. If she's okay with things, I should be too. I guess I can be a bit overprotective as a mother sometimes."

"A _bit_ overprotective? You're ready to kill anyone that even does the slightest wrong to that kid. Not that I am complaining, by the way. Most parents these days couldn't give two shits about the kids they have. They either put them in front of the computer, TV, or video games or hand them some cash and the Visa before dumping them off at the mall, if not the parents being around at all in general. At least I know that Britt's got someone there watching over her, even when I can't."

"Lord knows I try," Lori Anne sighed. "But I still have to work, so I can't be around 24/7."

"If I say so, you've done one hell of a great job in the last ten years for someone who raised her alone."

"Thank you," she smiled. "And I plan on keeping on doing just that for the next ten years too."

Lori Anne wrote quickly on a slip of paper before handing it to him. "You know what? Instead of me waiting to tell her you want to take her to a few shows with you, why don't you call the camp this week on her phone day and tell her yourself? Not only would it be much better coming from _you_, it would also be the highlight of Britt's week to hear from her dad."

"You'd let me do that?" Paul asked. "_Sabes que; _a couple of weeks ago, you were hell bent on keeping it from me where her camp was."

"That was then, this is now; besides, she's as much your daughter as she is mine. And I'm really not so bad when the horns aren't out," she grinned.

"Actually, you're kind of sexy when the horns are out. Feisty can be a good thing."

"Don't even go there, mister. That talk about sexiness is what got us Britt in the first place."

He laughed and hugged her. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine again."

She nodded and returned the hug. "Yes, I think we will very well."


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Oh my God, Mom, you are like the best mom ever!" Brittany cried into the phone a few days later from camp. "Now I can't wait till camp is done!"

Lori Anne had to laugh. "I presume you've talked to your father."

"I sure did! And you're _really_ going to let me go?"

"Yes, but I'm going to outline the same conditions to you that I outlined to Daddy. It's only going to be for a few shows, and you're to stay with him and Brian the entire time unless they have a match, and then you're to stay with Barbie, Melina, Maria or Maryse. You can even go down and sit with Lilian if you like if she isn't busy. They're very nice ladies. I don't want you wandering off by yourself or getting in anyone's way. They're busy people, Britt. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am. But I thought you were still mad at Daddy."

"I was, but we worked out our differences. Besides, I trust him to look after you, even if it is for a short time."

"Oh yeah. Daddy wants to know if two weeks is okay."

"I don't see what the problem is with that," Lori Anne replied. "But again, stay out of trouble."

"I will! Gee. I haven't had any trouble at camp, have I?"

"No, but camp and going on the road with your father are totally two different things."

"I _know_, Mom. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I know; you're growing up so fast and you're a pretty girl. Do you remember that talk we had when you first had your period?"

"Uh huh. But if you're worried about me chasing boys, Mom, forget it. They're only good for tree climbing and sports."

Thank God she _still_ sees them that way, Lori Anne thought. But at least around Paul, she wouldn't have to worry much about Britt getting in trouble with boys anyway.

"Is Daddy gonna pick me up from camp and take me with him?" Brittany asked.

"Britt! Good grief. One, I don't even know if he'll be back this way around then, and second, you need at least a little break to rest up from camp and for me to pack some more things to take with you when you go with your dad."

"Oh right. I just don't want to get bored and stuff."

"One week with me before you take off with Daddy for two weeks isn't going to kill you. We put up with each other the rest of the year, don't we?"

"Yeah, but Daddy says you're kind of overprotective."

"You think I'm bad, little miss, wait until the end of those two weeks. You'll be having a different perspective of your father, trust me."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Three weeks after she returned from camp, Brittany was now on the road with Paul and having the time of her life. She had been in awe of all the superstars and divas her father had introduced her too, even if she was a little nervous at first when she had met Vince.

Still, Britt was having the time of her life watching run-throughs and seeing everyone practically up close that she'd only seen on her television screen every week before all of this.

Of course, as promised, she called her mother every night from Paul and Brian's hotel room, reporting every detail of the day and letting Lori Anne know that yes, she was all right.

Now she rounded the corner down the hall and found Paul and Brian talking to a couple of other people. Brian caught sight of her and was about to motion to Paul that Britt was headed toward them, but she had giggled and shook her head.

After Britt had gotten a running start, she lunged toward her father, jumping on Paul's back.

"**HI, DAD!**" she yelped excitedly.

Paul fell forward a little, caught off guard by the ambush.

"Jesus, Britt," he laughed, and pulled her off and toward him. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, just getting a ride," she laughed again.

"I think you may already be past that stage. Do you do this stuff to your mother?"

"Mom's kind of boring about goofing off like this," Brittany shook her head. "I mean, we do stuff together, but not as fun as you've been doing with me."

"Well, I wouldn't be so hard on Mom if I were you," Paul replied. "She's done a pretty good job of raising you before I even came into the picture."

"Yeah, but you're still cool. At least you know some of the music and other things I'm into. I mention some of it to Mom, and she looks at me like I'm from Mars or something."

"Honey, you got to remember too that Mom and I are from two separate decades," Paul pointed out. "She's seen a lot more than either you or I have. She may not be up on all the stuff we're into, but she's a smart lady and works hard. And there's one thing that's very important, and that is that Mom loves you very much."

"Yeah, you're right about that. And it was her niece that sent me to camp. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to go. The typing pool don't pay much, at least that is what Mom says."

"Your mom's not having trouble, is she? I mean, I can help out if–"

"She says we aren't," Brittany shook her head. "Not like before when there wasn't really anything after she lost her old job and we had to get state aid. That sucked. Things are kind of a little better now. At least I got some better things now anyway."

"Life's a lot more than about getting 'things,' Britt."

"Yeah, Mom says that too. Hey, I was wondering something."

"What's that?"

"Some of these girls are really nice. Why won't you go out with any of them?"

"One, most are seeing other guys, second they're my friends, and third, after an experience a long time ago, I don't date anyone I work with. Fourth, my career is my life and I don't think any girl could compete with that. What brought this on anyway?"

"Mom's not seeing anyone either."

"Britt, are you trying to do what I think you are?"

"Why not? You're my parents, and you had to really, _really_ like each other at least once. _I'm _here."

"I cannot believe I'm having this conversation with my ten year old daughter. Exactly _how much _has your mother told you?"

"About sex and stuff? Right after I started my first period and had to wear a training bra. See, I thought I hurt myself down there playing basketball and she said that wasn't it at all. Then that's when she told me about things."

"Aha…well, I guess better than hearing it from kids at school, I suppose."

"Oh we got sex ed at school," Brittany replied. "Mom signed the consent form that said I could be in that class."

Paul spit out his water and nearly choked in response. "_What! _You're not even in junior high yet."

"It's no big deal. It was the same junk Mom told me."

"Thank God."

"Dad, I'm going to find out stuff anyway, so Mom figured I may as well learn about it the right way now."

"Good point…..I guess."

"You're not going to yell at Mom, are you?"

"Of course not. Why would I yell at her? If she thinks you're the right age to discuss this kind of thing, then it's no big deal. Come to think of it, it's better you learn the right information now than end up hearing a bunch of bullshit later on in your life or having some guy trying to take advantage of you."

"Yep, just like Mom told me. You guys should go out, though."

"Jesus, Britt."

"What? Even Brian agrees with me."

"You discussed this with _Midget? _Good God, kid!"

"After I whooped him at Guitar Hero."

"Right. Listen, you two may think this is a great idea, but one, it may not work out, and two, how do you know your mother would be interested anyway?"

"You guys are friends again," Brittany shrugged.

"Have you even brought this up with your mother?"

"No, not yet."

"Aha. For some reason I already guessed that."

"You really should go out with Mom. Please? Just one time? It isn't like I'm asking you guys to get married, though that would be pretty cool."

"_Oquela," _Paul groaned.

"Then at least we all can go out for my birthday next month."

"You are not going to give up on this, are you?"

Brittany shrugged. "Guess I can tell Brian you lost the bet and you owe him fifty bucks."

"WHOA, wait a minute! _What bet, _young lady?"

"That you wouldn't have the guts to ask Mom out."

Paul crossed his arms and looked at her intensely. "So let me get this straight; you two are in some kind of conspiracy to get me with your mother to the point that he's making bets, huh?"

"The bet was _his _idea," Brittany nodded.

"Well, you can tell your partner in crime to prepare to cough up fifty bucks," he said. "Next time I see Mom, we're going out. And we're also going to arrange something for your birthday while we're at it."

"**YES!!" **Brittany cheered before she hugged him. "Mom's right, you really do rock, Dad!"


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Brittany yawned when she picked up the phone the next day, guessing it would most likely be her mother. She was right.

"I'm sorry, sweetie; did I wake you?" Lori Anne asked.

"Not really. I had kind of a slumber party with Brian and Daddy. We've been up most of the night. Well, Brian passed out after awhile. And a couple of ladies stopped by for a bit too."

"You did _what?"_

"Mom, really, it was just one night."

"Where's your father? Let me talk to him."

"He just came out of the bathroom. Here he is. Don't yell at him, please?"

"Who's going to yell at who?" Paul asked.

Brittany handed him the phone. "It's Mom."

"Oh God. What the hell did you say to her?" He picked up the receiver. "Yes?"

"Don't you 'yes?' _me, _Paul Michael. What are you doing keeping our daughter up all night and having women in the room?"

"_Oquela_. Jesus, Lor, it isn't like I had her up on a school night, and as for the women, it was just Barbs and Maryse. You act like we were having an orgy or something. It was perfectly innocent, trust me. Britt was too busy handing Midget's ass to him in almost every video game known to man, we watched some movies and made Hamburger Helper, and then I was about to take her down to breakfast when you called."

"Still, you're forgetting she's almost eleven, a little girl. I don't want women in the room carrying on while you have that _child _with you, innocent or not."

"A 'little girl' in a training bra that's getting periods. Christ, Lor, aren't you overreacting a bit? You know I wouldn't let anything happen to her. Midget and I would fucking kill anyone that as much as laid a finger on her the wrong way. And it's not like he and I are having wild parties up here every night. Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to do that with an _ten year old _in the room?"

"Lord only knows what you men do on the road. And that little girl in the training bra you're referring to happens to still climb trees and play basketball in the alley with boys her own age. But that is beside the point; she doesn't need to be kept up late. I have her in bed by eleven when she's home and she was in earlier than that at camp. No more keeping her up. Understand?"

"_Comprendo."_

"Good. How has she been outside of that?"

"Actually, pretty good; kind of quiet at the arenas most of the time. Everybody loves the kid. The girls usually take her into their locker room; I guess they figure Britt doesn't need to see a bunch of sweaty, hairy, butt naked guys before her time. Of course, I kind of insisted on that too."

"Thank God," she laughed. "And yes, I don't need our daughter around naked men. She'll be seeing plenty of those soon enough in her lifetime."

"Exactly my thought," Paul agreed. "Next thing we know, she'll be going from playing basketball in the alley to begging to go to the prom with the captain of some team. No thanks, she doesn't need to see what men are like before she's sixteen, even if you did give her the sex talk already."

"She _told_ you that?"

"Uh…yeah. Kind of threw me a little, considering her age."

"Well, I sat Britt down once I'd learned she started having periods not long ago. She thought she hurt herself, so I had to explain what was really happening to her. That and her starting to get little breasts. Of course, you know how smart and mature Britt is for her age, so naturally, she was asking questions, so as her mother, it was best that I was up front and honest. So we discussed some things."

"Sex."

"Yes, sex. And babies. She's got to learn sometime, Paul; it may as well be the _proper _way. You know there's girls out there as young as _eight_ having sex? I didn't want that to be Brittany. She has some friends at school that are already boy crazy and wearing things that I wouldn't put that child to bed in, much less let her wear those things in public. It's ridiculous what these parents let their kids get away with."

"I totally agree. A couple of the girls wanted to take Britt shopping, but when I found out Victoria's Secret was one of the scheduled stops, I said no fucking way unless that was scratched."

Lori Anne laughed. "_Now_ who's being overprotective?"

"Well, if they'd planned to go there, knowing them, God knows what else they had planned. Neverthless, it wouldn't have been suitable for a ten year old."

"So I'm guessing that got eighty-sixed."

"The Victoria's Secret trip? Yeah. I have my influential moments."

"Oh yes. You don't need to remind me of that."

"Um, yeah. Speaking of that, it looks like I might be off the week of Britt's birthday."

He looked around to make sure his nosy daughter was out of earshot, then spoke again. "You think we could arrange something for her?"

"I'd like that!" Lori Anne agreed cheerfully. "Just say when and where, you pick."

"I'm also paying," he replied.

"You don't have to go insane," she said.

"I'm serious. I don't want you putting out a nickel for this. We'll think of something nice to do for her. In the meanwhile while I'm there, perhaps you and I can go do something, that time, _without_ Brittany."

She was caught a little off guard, yet a little amused. "Are you asking me out?"

"Yeah….I guess."

"Well, I guess one time wouldn't hurt. Now let's just hope Britt doesn't read more into it than it actually will be."

"Then we got a date then."

_In another part of the room:_

Outside the doorway, Brittany smiled to herself before going over to plop on the couch beside Brian.

"Looks like you lost fifty bucks," she announced.

"Are you telling me your dad actually grew some balls and asked your mom out?"

"Yep. On the phone, just now, when they were talking about my birthday."

"Uh, Britt, he didn't exactly see you, did he?"

"Nope. He was all into talking to Mom and I hid where he couldn't see anyway."

"Ahhh, okay. And for the record, I haven't lost the fifty until your dad actually goes on the date. Otherwise, he owes me."

"Oh, I think he will," Brittany nodded. "He sounded all happy and stuff. Now I got to act like I know nothing about that or my birthday. That sure isn't going to be easy."


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"What were you doing kissing that girl?" Brittany asked sternly that night, her arms crossed and truly annoyed.

Paul had tried to laugh it off. "What are you so upset about, sweetheart? It was a fan, we posed for a picture, and it was just a kiss on the cheek."

"She had her hand on your butt."

"Which was _promptly removed _in a polite way by yours truly. What the hell is your problem? You didn't get bent out of shape about me being with fans before."

"They weren't little slags trying to get in your pants either."

"Where do you get this shit?"

"Well, first you ask Mom out earlier today, and the next thing I know, you got some young chick all up on you—"

"Hold it! Who said anything about me going out with your mother?"

"On the phone earlier today," Brittany confessed. "You said you wanted to go someplace while you were off one night with her, preferably _without_ me. Wouldn't that count as asking her out?"

"Have you been eavesdropping again?"

"No, not really. I just happened to hear you ask Mom when you talked to her earlier. Then you had to go off with that nasty skank tonight. Eww. Mom is far better and has more class."

"Look, Britt, I don't know what you're thinking, but mingling with fans is part of my job, no matter how it looks to you sometimes to be more than that. Second, your mother and I are just going out for one night socially. It's not going to be some big thing; I'm sure she'll say the same about it. She doesn't care what I'm doing with my personal life, just like I don't meddle in hers. We're not each other's property even if we are your parents. Got that?"

She thought a moment. "I guess so. I still say she's the only one good enough for you, though."

"Don't push it, kiddo. Mom may think differently."

"Can I stay up tonight and watch movies again?"

"Well, I did tell Mom I would have you in bed by eleven….."

"Aw, Dad! Now you're getting boring!"

"I didn't finish," he chuckled. "I told Mom I'd have you in bed by eleven, but since you've been pretty good outside of raising a stink over me kissing a fan, I don't see why we can't have another movie night. What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her. Just don't blab about it when she calls tomorrow."

Brittany's mood brightened. "Okay!"

"Good. I'm putting you in charge with helping Midget pick something. He'll be here in a few minutes and then you guys can go get them and some snacks." He gave her some money. "Don't go nuts."

"I won't, Dad. And I'm real sorry for being mad earlier."

"Don't worry about it. At least we're back on the same page now."


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Dad took me shopping," Brittany announced a few days later.

"Since _when_ does your father go shopping?" Lori Anne asked laughingly. "The Dad I remember usually didn't spend more than twenty dollars anywhere unless it was the NBA store in New York."

"Well, he didn't want to go at first. But when I mentioned a couple of divas wanted to take me, for some reason he changed his mind really quick and said he'd take me instead."

"Oh, I see," Lori Anne replied, remembering her last conversation with Paul. "Well, you wouldn't happen to have bankrupted the poor man, did you?"

"No, just got a bunch of clothes and a new iPod. He says they're early birthday presents."

"Why did he get you a whole new iPod? I told you I'd get a new card for the one you had when you got back home."

"His idea. I told him the one I had was okay except the card was messed up. Are you going to yell at him again?"

"Of course not. Come to think of it, it may have been better just to get a whole new thing anyway. Besides, Daddy probably knows more about that stuff than I do."

"He knows lots of stuff," Brittany said proudly.

"I'm sure," Lori Anne chuckled.

"Oh, I almost forgot. He wants to take me to California to meet his brother."

"_What? _Why didn't he tell me about this?"

"Can he, Mom? _Please?"_

"Let me talk to him about it first, then I can decide."

"You're going to say no, aren't you?"

"I just want to discuss it with your father first before you get whisked away to California, that's all."

"Well, you got no problem with me being with him at shows for two weeks," Brittany protested. "What's the difference?"

"Maybe it's because I know you're around people that I either know or know of and you're taken care of. I don't know Daddy's brother or any of his family, so I want to talk to Daddy first to make sure it really is all right."

"Mom, he's my uncle; hardly a serial killer. I don't think Daddy would want to take me if he didn't think it would be okay."

"I know, sweetie. But I do want to discuss it with him first. Have him get in touch with me when he gets some time. Meanwhile, I want to see what you got on your shopping trip when you get home in a few days."

"Sure. You're really going to like this stuff! I can't wait until my birthday too."

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"Oh I don't know. I just have a feeling that this is just going to be my best birthday yet!"


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Britt told me earlier today you want to take her to meet your brother," Lori Anne informed Paul on their next phone call. "What brought that up?"

"I thought it was time she really knew the rest of her family and they her," he replied. "They know about her now anyway, so it isn't like it's a big secret anymore."

"Well, this is new. And to think a little over a few months ago, you barely mentioned her to anyone."

"I know. But spending time with her a lot lately got me to thinking. She did want me to discuss it with you, though."

"Of course. I insisted on that."

"So it isn't going to be a problem, is it?" he asked.

"I wasn't sure what to think at first, then I sat down and thought about it for awhile. It isn't like you're wanting to take Britt out of the country, and it is family you want to take her to visit, so no, it isn't a problem. Just—"

"I know, I know. I'll keep a close eye on her, just like I have been doing."

"That, make sure she gets to bed on time, don't go insane with the shopping, and make sure she's out of your brother's way if he's busy."

"As always, of course."

"And if I hear anything about anyone taking her around somewhere that isn't appropritate, there's going to be hell to pay."

"For the love of Christ, Lor, will you knock it off? You should know better than that by now. Do you hear me going batshit if a guy comes to see you or something?"

"I will happily inform you that I have not dated for over a year, and when I occasionally did, I certainly didn't invite them in in front of my daughter. I also have standards; unlike some present company, I don't lay down with anything that's breathing."

"Whoa, 411 here, Missy. I have standards too, you know."

"Sure you do," Lori Anne countered. "They have to be under thirty, breathing and have big tits or at least thirty percent of the diva roster. Am I close?"

"You are so damn impossible sometimes," he sighed. "I don't do that kind of shit anymore, especially after the last incident, which Midget ran his big mouth to you about."

She stopped short. "You're _serious_, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm serious. Look, that last thing was a one-time issue. I'd also like to add that I have a daughter to think about and would at least like to have a civil relationship with her mother."

"Nah," she teased, "I'm too old for you."

"Will you cut it out?" Paul asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm kidding. So back to the original conversation, when are you planning to take Britt out to California?"

"Probably not till after her birthday. I figured after I send her home she could spend some time with Mom, then of course there's the big birthday, and she should be ready to go out for about a week. I don't want to take her too close to when school is about to start, because I figured you'd need to do school shopping with her."

"You figured right," Lori Anne agreed. "Most of Britt's stuff from last year is already getting too small for her. She's really growing up."

"Yeah, I kind of had some firsthand experiences with that. It was….interesting to go with a ten year old to get clothes."

"To say the least," she laughed. "I've been doing it for years, though. The fun part is when she finally is a teenager."

"Oh, don't even go there. It's already been a challenge so far and she isn't even eleven yet."


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Mom said I _could_ go meet my uncle?" Brittany asked cheerfully.

"Yes she did," Paul replied. "With conditions, of course."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Wow, like _that _is totally surprising."

"Honey, Mom cares about you. She wouldn't be going so far as to do the things she does if she didn't love you. And frankly, though I think she's a bit over the top sometimes, I have to agree with Mom."

"Kind of like when she yelled at you for going around with some other ladies," Brittany nodded. "Sorry, Dad, but I definitely got to agree with her and Brian on that. Those girls are just nasty skank ho's. They probably got cooties."

"Brian needs to keep his trap shut and keep you out of my business," Paul countered, raising an eyebrow. "_That_ stuff is nothing any little girl needs to be knowing the first thing about."

"Why? I know what sex is already. And I'm not a little girl; I'm almost eleven."

"Right. But this isn't about me; I can look after myself. This is about me and Mom keeping _you _safe; after all, you're about all the family she has left and only wants to see you happy and not have people with bad intentions hurt you. I don't want that to happen to you either, Britt."

"She has Cousin Loni," Brittany shrugged.

"Yes, but your cousin is married with her own family," Paul reminded her. "And you are both my and your mother's responsibility. You may not like what we do at times, but we do it because we love and care about you."

"Kind of like Mom says about you even when she tells me that you're being a total donkey," Brittany smiled and nodded.

"I seriously doubt your mother said 'donkey,' though."

"No, she didn't, but I'm not allowed to say the bad word. Mom yells at me if I cuss."

"As she should. Eleven is too young to be using dirty words."

"So what rules did Mom set for our trip to California?" Brittany wondered.

"Pretty much the same that I'm doing for you right now. Of course, she's still in the dark about me breaking the bedtime rule."

"Yeah, like I'm really going to rat you out about that, Dad." Brittany began to laugh.

"You're a little rebel already," Paul chuckled back. "But I'm not sure how your uncle will be about the bedtime thing once we get out there, though. At the present, we still have a week to run wild before you go home, so enjoy it while you can."

"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun. Then I got to spend time at home before we go to California. Bleh." She stuck out her tongue and made a face.

"Oh, it isn't that bad. Besides, you already know I'm coming for your birthday too."

"And going out with Mom," she reminded him.

"Yeah, which you have told me for the ten thousandth time."

"What? I think it's awesome. I think she'll like it too."

"Again, it's only for one night, Britt. Don't go making an issue out of it."


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

A week later, Lori Anne wandered aimlessly around the airport terminal the day Brittany was due home, trying to contain her hysteria when she saw her daughter nowhere in sight. She was already over an hour late, and Lori Anne was fearing the worst.

What made things even worse was that she had called Paul's cell several times and neither he nor Brittany had picked up. Lori Anne tried again to no avail, snapping the phone shut and walking around the terminal again.

She was about to contact the police when she heard her phone ring. Lori Anne answered on the first ring, an unusual move for her. "Yes?"

"Hey, just checking in to let you know Brittany's with me," Brian said. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get in touch with you, but I didn't know she was still here at the hotel and I have your number till she gave it to me."

"What in the blue hell is she still doing there?" Lori Anne asked, hysteria gone and replaced by annoyance. "Paul was supposed to take her to the airport and she was supposed to be back here an hour ago!"

"We have a missing Mexican man by the looks of it," Brian replied, sounding equally annoyed. "He left here early this morning, telling Britt he was going on a gym run and a couple of things before coming back for her in about half an hour and for her not to go anywhere. No one's seen him since, and he hasn't even called her to say he'd be late. Hell, I haven't even heard from him, but I can guarantee that I will kill his ass when I do for leaving a kid alone in a hotel room for over _four hours_. If I'd known he was going to pull this bullshit, I'd taken her myself when I left here or at least had someone stay with her until one of us got back."

"I can't believe he's pulling this shit again," Lori Anne groaned. "I thought he was finally getting a little grounded now that he and Britt actually spent time together and he'd seemed so responsible the whole time."

"Well, I didn't want to tell you this, but I got to be honest. Britt's pretty mad at him too right now. She just told me he'd gone off with 'one of the girls' when he left this morning. God, I wish I hadn't left before he did. I thought he was taking her to the airport, Lor, I swear."

"I believe you," she reassured him. "What could he have been doing in four hours to leave his own daughter alone? Oh God, never mind that I asked!"

"I just had the same thought when Britt told me what happened. I'm just SHOCKED that he could get himself mixed up in his old ways again, especially with a daughter in the picture now. Christ, Lor, he's pushing forty now; he needs to stop being the human dildo for these bitches and be thinking about _his kid_. What if some fucking perv came on the floor while she was getting a soda down the hall and grabbed her or if there had been a fire in this place? I guess he was too busy thinking with his dick to use his actual brain!"

"Well, he's definitely being ripped thirty new assholes when I get hold of him," Lori Anne responded. "And he was doing so well with her these past two weeks too. I actually trusted him to let him take Britt to see his brother after her birthday. Now I'm not so sure."

"I can't blame you there. But if he seriously wants to take a step towards being an irresponsible dick as far as Britt goes, I'll interfere. The last chick he banged when he didn't show for visitation with Britt, I let that go; it was one night and it seemed harmless. But if he goes back to going over all these girls again, he'll just be back to where he started, long before that kid entered the picture."

"At this point, I don't think he's even going to change at all unless he proves us all wrong otherwise."

"Well, if it helps, I rebooked Britt's flight. I am taking her to the airport personally, and she should be safely in your hands in a couple of hours. I've already called Taylor to tell her I'd be late getting back and explained the situation. She said to take all the time I needed. You know, I've only known Britt for these two weeks, but I kind of see her like my own kid, and it burns my ass big time when her own dad falls down on the job like this. I wouldn't be so pissed if he'd called to say where he was or even told his own daughter something, but _four hours without a word _after leaving with some bitch? He and I have a serious issue to deal with. Meanwhile, go get some lunch, calm down a bit, and head back when her flight comes in. She'll be fine; I'll personally see to that. Then I got some fucker to track down and kill."

"Thank you, Brian," Lori Anne replied. "I'll give you a call when she gets here to let you know she arrived safely."

She then folded her phone shut and headed back out into the warm morning. May as well stick nearby. Thank God at least one of those two boys were responsible, she thought, making a note to give Paul a royal ass reaming the minute he _did_ call, though she doubted he would by the time Brian was finished with him.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"I don't even know why I'm talking to you," Brittany sniffed at her father that evening. "I can't believe you'd do this to me!"

"Chipmunk, I can't help some things ran over and then my car battery died on the way back," Paul sighed.

"Your phone battery die too?" Brittany snapped.

"Don't get an attitude with me, little missy," he warned her. "Where's your mother? I need to talk to her."

"Right here, but she's mad."

"So what the hell else is new? Put her on."

She then put the phone down and sighed to Lori Anne. "He wants to talk to you."

"Good," Lori Anne nodded. "Because he has a royal chewing out coming."

She sighed in disgust before picking up the receiver. "This better be good, mister, or else I am having Brian cut that dick of yours off and putting it in a jar."

"And hello to you too, Lor. Jesus."

"Well, he should. That man put out _his own money _to make sure Britt got home safe to me while you were out screwing around with some bimbo for four hours!"

"Whoa, hold on, missy. First of all, I was called to go to a meeting with management while I was at the gym. Yeah, I'd gone to the gym with one of the girls, but it doesn't automatically mean I was 'screwing around' as you eloquently put it. But I couldn't exactly make phone calls from the meeting and it ran over. Long story short, I got bitched out for over an hour by one blond midget after I got back here and found Britt gone. That's when he told me he'd sent her home. I forgot she'd had an earlier flight. I'm sorry. Now are you done crucifying me too?"

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Lori Anne probed.

"For Christ's sake, yeah, I get horny like any red-blooded man, okay? But it doesn't mean I'm going to be stupid enough to leave my own kid alone on purpose while I go get laid, which isn't happening soon anyway after a recent incident I won't get into. I couldn't contact anyone during that meeting, it ran over, and by the time I remembered Britt had to be home, she'd already been back there for hours."

"No thanks to _you," _Lori Anne replied. "If Brian hadn't gotten in touch with me, I'd still be waiting at the airport shitting razor blades. I was about to call the police and report her missing! Do you have any idea what I went through? I gave birth to that girl and I will not hesitate to rip anyone limb to limb that neglects or hurts her, including you."

"Jesus, what is it with everyone on my ass today? First the bosses, then Brian, then Britt, and now you. Come on; I messed up. I said I was sorry. I didn't do it deliberately. I guess this is what I get for having the attention span of a fish."

She couldn't help it; Lori Anne broke out laughing at that last remark. She had also melted a little when she'd picked up the remorse in his voice. He _was_ being honest.

"What?" he asked, realizing she had softened.

"The attention span of a fish!" she giggled. "Oh, God, that is rich. Look, I'm sorry for jumping on you, but I was scared something happened to Britt and well, I got pissed off the more I thought about it."

"You have one hair trigger temper, you know that?"

"Oh, _you're _a fine one to talk!" she laughed again. "I heard all about you all but murdering one of the guys who was wanting to take Britt into the locker room for a tour."

"Tour, my ass. He needed his balls cut off. No _teenage_ girl should be in our locker room, let alone one that's almost eleven, and _especially_ my own daughter. Granted, she's developing early, she's mature and smart for her age, but Jesus Christ!"

"Well, hearing about that, I can excuse the blooper of you not getting her home, at least _this_ time."

"Thanks, Lor. So does this mean she can still go to California?"

"I wasn't sure earlier, but in light of what happened, yes. Just get yourself one of those PDA's or something, or at least take some memo paper with you, all right? You do have a fish's attention span, after all. And I don't want a repeat performance of today, or I _will_ rip your ass into six thousand pieces."

"I promise," he said softly. "Let me talk to the little chipmunk for a few minutes."

She handed Brittany the phone. "Daddy wants to talk to you."

"Feeling guilty for forgetting me?" Brittany snorted.

Lori Anne nodded. "That and then some."

Brittany rolled her eyes and took the receiver. "I suppose so."

Father and daughter talked for awhile, before Britt had hung up the phone, now smiling.

"I'm guessing Daddy is forgiven," Lori Anne smiled back.

"Yeah. He just goofed up. Of course, he's kind of goofy anyway, so I shouldn't have been surprised. I just felt bad for being mean before I found out what really happened. But am I really still—"

"Allowed to go to California? Certainly. Just make sure to stick a Post-It note on your dad's forehead so he remembers to bring you home this time."

Brittany laughed and hugged her mother. "I sure will!"


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

A few weeks later, Brittany's eleventh birthday was around the corner. Much to her pleasant surprise, Lori Anne noticed that Paul seemed to be a little more attentive to details concerning their daughter since the incident he'd forgotten to send her home after being with him on the road. He had arrived on schedule, loaded down with presents for Brittany.

He was going to bunk at a hotel, but Britt had begged her mother to let him stay in the spare room she had been planning to rent for extra income.

After thinking about it, Lori Anne gave in; it did make more sense for him to be here with Britt, especially with the cost of gas these days, and spending money needlessly for a hotel when this was his time off was ridiculous.

One afternoon, Paul had gone out on an errand and Brittany had discovered his iPod, sitting down to shuffle through the songs on it.

"**OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!**" she yelled while choking with laughter and nearly falling off the sofa.

"What on earth is going on?" Lori Anne asked, coming out of the kitchen. "And what are you doing with your dad's iPod?"

Brittany couldn't answer immediately; she was laughing too hard. "Daddy listens to girly music! Hannah Montana! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs! Britney! Ashlee Simpson! Katy Perry! Oh my God! And he laughs at _Brian_ for listening to gay stuff!"

"Give me that," Lori Anne demanded, holding out her hand. "You do not have permission to use Daddy's stuff, young lady. And I am not going to take the fall for it if you mess something up."

"Oh, Mom, I'm not messing anything up. And Dad won't care."

"That's not the point. You didn't ask first, and I brought you up better than that."

Brittany handed it over. "Yessum."

"Then again, I'm kind of curious too."

"Listen to it. You'll die, Mom," Brittany encouraged. "Here, I'll show you how it works."

Within a few minutes, Lori Anne began to giggle.

"Isn't that totally funny?" Brittany asked, giggling along with her mother.

Lori Anne took out the ear buds. "Just when I think I knew all there was to know about your dad. And he has the balls to make fun of _my_ 'old hippie' music, as he likes to call it. Well, we'll see about that."

"He makes fun of Brian about stuff too."

"So I've gathered."

"No offense, Mom, but your hippie music is kind of weird."

"This coming from the issue of a man who has Beethoven as a ring tone on his phone. Thank you, daughter; I love you too."

"You know, you and Dad would make a cute couple. You both had me, you're both kind of goofy, you both have weird music taste—"

"Stop right there, young lady. What are you insinuating?"

"Well, you're going out with him Friday, aren't you?"

"It's just one night out, Britt. Hardly a hot and heavy romance. Besides, your dad and I would probably kill each other. It would never work."

"Uh huh. I've seen him check you out since he got here."

"And he's probably checking out other women while he's out right now too."

"Whatever, Mom. I saw _you_ looking at his butt the other night when he bent over to pick something off the floor."

"Brittany JoAnn Remington, I did no such thing."

"Then how come your face is red right now? Yeah, busted."

"I think a little girl learned a little more than she should those two weeks on the road with her dad," Lori Anne nodded.

"Yeah, it was kind of fun," Brittany replied. "Especially when he got mad at some guy that wanted to take me in the locker room alone. I mean, who tours a locker room?"

"I don't think a tour is what that particular man had in mind. Apparently he thought you were a little older than you are, and well…..in any case, you can see why Daddy was so upset."

"That guy was kind of creepy. Good thing Dad was hanging out."

"Exactly. You know, as scatter brained as he can be and makes me mad at times, when it comes down to the brass tacks, I think your dad would cut off his right arm if you asked him to. That's how much he loves you."

"Yeah, I think so too. Besides, it's pretty cool having a goofy dad."

"Well, you'll never complain about a dull moment, that's for sure."

"Oh, that reminds me. The next time you see a spider around here, ask Dad to kill it and see how he reacts."

Lori Anne gave her daughter an odd look. "I don't think I'm even going to ask details about_ that."_


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

The day Brittany had turned eleven had been one of the best days of her life. It would be the first time in her short life that both of her parents were together for her special day; to think up until six months ago, she didn't even know her father existed, much less had an idea who he really was. And now there was Paul in person, getting ready to take her and Lori Anne out for the girl's birthday dinner.

Her present he had brought her still waited; he and her mother decided it was best to wait until after dinner for her to open them. Brittany already guessed there was something big among them, which may have explained why her father had been evasive as to what he had gotten her all day.

Now as he got ready for their outing, she grinned and approached him.

"Wow, Dad, excuse me for saying, but you look kind of hot," Brittany praised him.

"_Hot? _Britt, your mother and I are taking you out for your birthday; I'm not trying to impress anyone."

"Not even Mom?" She batted her eyes playfully.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Are we going through this again? You know both her and my stand on that, Britt."

She shrugged, then put her arms around his shoulders. "I tried. So come on, what's my big present?"

He laughed. "You've waited this long, chipmunk, what's another hour or two?"

"Not even a hint?"

"No."

Paul then sniffed, a look crossing on his face as if he'd smelled something familiar, but couldn't place what it was.

"S'matter, Dad?" Brittany asked.

"That smell. What's your mother using?"

"Oh _that. _Vanilla Musk. She uses it sometimes when she goes out. Why? You like it?"

"Come to think of it, very much so."

"Good, maybe you can tell her later."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Go get your shoes on, then we can go down and wait till Mom's ready."

_Later that evening:_

"This buffet thing was a really cool idea," Brittany nodded in approval.

"You can thank your dad for that," Lori Anne laughed. "considering both of you nearly cleaned the place out."

"Hey, we saved some for other people," Paul spoke up in protest. "And if I'm paying ten bucks a person, you girls better eat. Which reminds me, your plate is empty. Go make another trip."

"Never mind; I can barely move as it is. I'm not a growing person like you two unless you want my ass to grow bigger."

"Eh, just as well, because I got another surprise for the chipmunk here."

Brittany glowed. "What?"

"Turn around; they're headed this way right on schedule."

Four waitresses arrived, carrying a birthday cake and singing.

"You got me a cake? Wow, Mom usually gets me one at the bakery."

"Daddy thought you should have something different this year," Lori Anne smiled. "And I had to agree."

Brittany hugged both of them. "You guys are the best!"

"Go on, make a wish," Paul encouraged.

"Mmm, okay."

Brittany then closed her eyes, thinking for a moment, before a smile came across her face and she blew out the candles.

They then had some of the cake before it was time for her presents. Aside from the myriad of clothes, Brittany stared at a card that she'd also gotten from her mother, along with a small pair of stud earrings.

"Um, Mom? These are for _pierced _ears," she said.

"Exactly, hence the card. It's a gift card to get your ears done."

She brightened. "You're letting me get my ears pierced?"

"You've only been pestering me about it for almost a year. Considering you've been very mature and done well in school this past year, I don't see why not. Besides, better now than when you're older. But," Lori Anne added, "that's all you're getting done. No crazy things like your belly button, lips or anything like that."

"Eww, who'd want to do that?" Brittany wrinkled her nose.

"Hey, I had a lip piercing," Paul spoke up. "It's isn't that bad."

"So why don't you have it now?" Brittany asked.

"I lost the ring one night I had a match. I took it out before and once I was done went to look for it and never did find the thing. So I just let it heal up."

"Thank goodness. Who'd want to kiss _that _otherwise?"

"Brittany!" Lori Anne cried.

He laughed. "Don't worry about it; let the chipmunk have her opinion. She's a smart kid, gets it from her _mami, _obviously. And look at it this way; you don't have to worry about her doing shit because the other kids are doing it."

"Very true," Lori Anne replied. "At least I don't have that problem…yet."

"I need to use the bathroom," Brittany announced.

"All right, I'll take you while your dad holds down the fort."

"Mom, I can use the bathroom myself. I'm not some little kid."

"No, you're not, but I'm not letting you in public bathrooms by yourself. I've heard too many horror stories about what happens in those things. I'm taking you, end of discussion."

Brittany looked at Paul. "Mom watches too much of _America's Most Wanted," _she explained.

"Perhaps I do, but if I have anything to say about it, _your_ picture isn't going to be on that show as a missing child. Now let's get to that bathroom."

While the two were gone, Paul reached under the booth where he sat and pulled out a package, sitting it in front of where his daughter had sat, ready for her to open when she and Lori Anne had returned from the ladies' room.

They returned several minutes later, Brittany eying the package immediately.

"Is _this_ the present?" she asked.

"The one you've pestered my ass about all week? Yes," Paul nodded. "And now the time has come."

Brittany attacked the package, ripping it open in what seemed to be seconds. "Oh wow!" she cried in delight, spying a pink laptop computer inside a box.

"You got your daughter a _laptop?" _Lori Anne asked.

"What? Britt and I can stay in touch with each other that way when I travel, no matter where I am," Paul said.

"Well, yes, but we have a perfectly good computer at home which I just paid off," she replied.

"Mom," Brittany spoke up, "you're usually on it writing your book when you aren't at work. And when I can get on it, you got all kinds of stuff blocked."

"And it will be blocked on _that _too, young lady," Lori Anne responded, indicating the laptop. "There are things that young eyes should not be seeing."

"Wait," Paul cut in, "you're writing a book? You never mentioned anything about that."

"It's not exactly something I want to broadcast just yet until I'm finished," Lori Anne shook her head. "And there's no guarantee I'll find a publisher anyway."

"You will, Mom," Brittany nodded. "You're really talented."

"So are a lot of other people writing books, Britt. That doesn't mean I'll be published, at least right away."

"Yeah, but nobody wrote anything about Dad yet."

"Huh? The book's about _me?" _Paul asked.

"Oh God, Britt," Lori Anne groaned. "Is nothing sacred with you?"

"Well, not about you, but kind of based on you. It's fiction," Brittany explained.

"Ah. Sounds like something I should get my hands on. Make sure it's accurate."

"You mean to tell me you're interested in my gibberish?" Lori Anne asked, both amused and intrigued.

"If Britt likes it, I doubt it's gibberish. Come on; how about a peek?"

"Well, all right. I guess I can give you a copy of what I have so far when I get home."

"Good, I could use some quality bedtime reading tonight," Paul grinned.

"You'll like it, Dad," Brittany nodded eagerly.

"I'm sure," he agreed. "At least it will beat the hell out of­—"

"Don't say it!" Lori Anne cried. "Stop right there!"


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Do I really have to have a stupid babysitter?" Brittany asked the next night as her parents prepared to go out. "Only little kids have sitters and it isn't like I'm going to burn the house down."

"Because you are not old enough to be by yourself yet, even if you are a responsible girl," Lori Anne answered. "Besides, I think you'll be very pleased with your sitter tonight."

"Aw, Mom, not another dumb teenage girl like Angie."

Lori Anne was a bit confused. "Not really, but I thought you liked Angie."

"Yeah, when she isn't on the phone slobbering over her goofy boyfriend. What's the big deal with boys anyway? Even some of the girls at school are talking about them all the time."

"I have a feeling you'll know in a few years."

"Kind of like Dad chasing girls, huh?"

"I don't think your dad is the one doing the chasing all the time. My guess is that Daddy is usually the _chased_ one. He's actually quite shy around them."

"Dad, shy? You got to be kidding."

"I wish I was, but it's true."

"Well, he certainly isn't shy with _you, _especially at least one time."

"Brittany JoAnn," her mother warned.

"Just making a point. Hey, where is he taking you anyway?"

"Probably somewhere nice, nothing fancy. Daddy's a simple guy."

"Yeah, he is. So why you being so quiet about this babysitter? It's not crabby old Mrs. Peters across the street, is it? Dad says she smells like a hundred cats."

"No, it's not Mrs. Peters, and for his information, she only has two cats."

"Can you at least give a _little_ hint?"

"What, and spoil the surprise? Certainly not."

"It better not be anybody mean."

"Well, they're far from mean as you can get. Actually, Daddy and I mutually decided on them. And they happily agreed."

"Oh, Dad was in on this too? In that case, it's got to be someone good then."

"Why is it that when your dad does something, you think he's the second coming of the Messiah, yet when I do the same thing, you act like it's an unpardonable sin?"

"Because he's _Dad_. And he's cool."

"Wonderful. My very own daughter that I spent twenty six hours in labor giving birth to is now giving me a complex."

"You aren't that bad, just you get a little strict sometimes."

"Britt, I do that for a reason. Even Daddy can attest to that, 'cool' as you think he is."

"Lor!" Paul bellowed from the next room. "Sitter's due here in about five minutes. You ready?"

She grabbed her shoes and walked out with Brittany. "Anytime you are, Your Highness."

_The sitter arrives:_

The doorbell rang, Lori Anne answering it before she announced the sitter was there.

"Right on schedule," Paul grinned. "Nothing less than I expected."

"Britt, come here!" Lori Anne called out. "I want you to meet your sitter for the night."

"This better be good or you're _both_ dead," Brittany warned her father before they went to the foyer.

"Oh my God!" she cried upon spying who would be staying with her that evening while her parents were out. _"Brian!"_

"Told you it would be someone good," Lori Anne nodded.

"Yeah, but not _this _good! I should have known Dad would be in on something like this."

"Hey, I haven't seen much of the dumb shit since the draft and I owed him a favor anyway," Brian explained. "What better than to stay with you while your folks went out on their hot date?"

"I'd hardly call it a 'hot date'," Lori Anne laughed. "But thanks for doing the favor."

"Question now is that though I can trust my daughter to stay out of trouble, can I trust the _babysitter_ to do the same?" Paul asked jokingly.

"Very funny, dude," Brian replied, then turned to Lori Anne. "So you're going to risk your life by going out with The Big Mexican Idiot here, huh?"

"Now who's trying to be funny?" Paul wondered.

"Well, Britt and I went went him last night and it seemed pretty safe," she answered laughingly. "I'd like to guess it should be fine tonight."

"Can't say I didn't warn you," Brian cackled. "Keep an eye on the hands, though; they tend to wander, " he added before Paul slapped the side of his head.

"We're leaving," Paul announced. "Make sure the house is intact when we get back. That especially goes for _you_, Spanky."

"_Sí, señor_," Brian responded with a mock salute.

_Later that night:_

Her parents gone for a couple of hours, Brittany and her equally goofball sitter had had a good time, playing video games, ordering pizza (with Paul's credit card, Brian's idea), mock wrestling matches (he was gentle with Britt, knowing Paul would skin him alive if she'd gotten hurt), and an impromptu outing for ice cream.

When Paul and Lori Anne had arrived home a short time later, they found both still gone and Lori Anne discovered a note on the table:

_Kidnapped your chipmunk and holding her hostage at Dairy Queen. Will be back in a little bit._

_Brian, The Greatest Sitter Ever_

Paul then spied the empty pizza box, quirking an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me that little fucker loaded her up on pizza and now whisked her off to Dairy Queen? What's he trying to do, clog the kid's arteries and make her fat?"

"You're a fine one to talk," Lori Anne smiled. "Who just loaded up on three platters at the restaurant? And last time I talked to him," she added, patting his stomach, "Bri said you were up to 211."

"I am _not _fat," he protested. "And I was hungry."

"Did I complain?" she smiled. "I rather like it. You could have used some meat on those bones."

He was shocked. "Yeah?"

"Mmmmmhmmmm."

"In that case, maybe while the two ice cream raiders are gone, we can go into the living room and you can discuss this a bit further with the Londonator."


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Brian and Brittany had returned a short time later, Brian putting the spare key in the front door, only to find it unlocked.

"What the hell?" he asked. "I know I locked this when we left here!"

"You did," Brittany nodded. "I watched you."

"Oh shit. Somebody's got to have broken in then. Your folks aren't due back for at least another hour."

"We should call the police," she said softly as they crept inside quietly.

"Not yet. Let me find who's in here, kick their ass, and then we get the cops."

"Is that good? Mom always said if anything looks weird to call—"

Brian shushed her when they heard a sound. It sounded like a whimper. Brian pointed toward upstairs, motioning her to stay there and be quiet; he was going to check it out

He crept up the steps, along the hall, heading toward Lori Anne's bedroom when he heard a noise from there, thinking someone had attacked her, and where the hell was Paul?

The door was open a crack, but not enough to see anyone inside. Brian picked up something on a table in the hallway, ready to clobber whoever was hurting her before pushing the door open a little more, but his eyes widened instead what was actually going on in there, before making a tear for downstairs, his face totally white.

"What is it?" Brittany whispered. "Is it a burglar?"

"Not exactly," Brian coughed. "But I still wouldn't go up there if I were you."

"So what is it?" she pressed.

"Let's just say I am going to be scarred for life," Brian answered, slowly sitting on the couch and letting Brittany plop beside him. "I know one thing; I did not need the sight of your dad's baby bare naked ass bobbing up and down in the air burned into my mind."

Brittany didn't need to guess further. "Oh my God! You mean Mom and Dad are up there having—"

"Yeah, fucking. Say no more; I'm already creeped out enough as it is."

"Should we go back outside then?" Brittany asked.

He grabbed the remote. "Nah, we can entertain ourselves while they're 'entertaining' each other."

"You are so weird," Brittany giggled.

_Upstairs:_

"I thought I heard something downstairs," Lori Anne said softly, concern in her voice.

"Gee, baby, it was good for me too," Paul replied. "That was worth an eleven year wait."

"Come on, this isn't funny. Someone's in the house."

"Who else has a key?" he asked, then it hit him. "Oh, shit, that's right; you gave Spanky the spare! He and Brittany must be back already!"

"You don't think he or Britt know we are….."

"I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "We weren't due back for awhile yet. Shit. We better get decent and go find out if it's them or not. I just hope they didn't see anything or Spanky will _never _let me live this down."

"If that's the case, it was _your_ idea to have him stay with Britt when we went out tonight instead of me getting my regular girl."

"Who'd run up your phone bill talking to her boyfriend. At least with Spanky, we didn't have that problem."

Fully dressed now, they made their way downstairs, finding that indeed their daughter and Brian were in residence.

"Make yourself at home, Spanky," Paul said, entering the living room where Brian and Brittany were spread out on the floor in front of the giant TV.

Brittany gave her parents an odd look while Brian failed miserably to hold back a snicker.

"What's _your_ problem?" Paul asked him.

"Never thought I'd say this, PL, but I just saw a new side of you tonight I never even got to see in the locker room the whole time we were a tag team."

"Oh, Jesus," Paul groaned, realizing what he meant.

Lori Anne went a little pale, but stood silent.

"It wasn't my fault you two lovebirds weren't due home for another hour," Brian answered, then gave a sheepish grin. "So was it worth the wait?"

"Spanky," Paul warned. "Not in front of little ears. And there's ladies present."

"It's okay, Dad; I figured you and Mom would get together sooner or later," Brittany smiled up at him. "Just not _this_ soon."

"And certainly not the hell like _that," _Brian added, before he burst out laughing. "You know I'm not letting you slide on this one, right?"

"I rather figured that much the minute you opened your mouth," Paul groaned. "Remind me next time I have you stay with my daughter that you don't get the spare key again."


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Well, it was a more pretty different birthday for me than anything else," Brittany giggled the next day.

"Britt, don't start," Paul warned.

"Why not? I kind of knew you were starting to like Mom, but I guess yesterday pretty much confirmed that."

"Okay, not that you need to know this or anything, but what Spanky happened to come upon yesterday _was not _supposed to happen."

"But it _did_," Brittany sang. "Daddy's gottttttttttttt a girrrrrrrrrrrrllllfriend. And it's my mommmm!"

Paul put his head in his hands and groaned. "Jesus Christ. It isn't enough I have to deal with this during the times I get to see Spanky, now you're on my ass."

"Come on, Dad; she's far better than some of those stupid girls you go around with and talk to. She's a _natural looking _person anyway."

"You say that because she's your mother, which is normal, by the way."

"And that she looks like a _real _person. Dad, you're pushing forty; you're getting up there and gotta think about having someone stable."

"Your mother," Paul guessed.

"Yup."

"Jesus. Why the hell did Spanky have to tell you about all that anyway? Now both of you will be giving me shit."

"He didn't have to outright," Brittany nodded. "I kind of guessed there was something weird going on just from the look on his face. And look at it this way, Mom came down in a _real good mood _this morning. She's usually all crabby and stuff when she isn't quiet. Not today."

Paul gave her an odd look. "And why do I have the feeling that what happened last night going to be the subject of her next coffee klatch?"

Brittany shook her head. "She discusses stuff with the ladies, but never talks about sex things. So I think you're safe."

"Thank Christ."

"Why are you so hung up on it? Mom isn't mad."

"Obviously. She's down there _singing," _Paul replied.

"And it's not like you can hide how you feel about her all that good. Besides, if you hadn't already done it with her, _I_ wouldn't be here."

"_Oquela. _God, Britt, where do you get this stuff?"

"From 'the big talk' I had with Mom awhile back, what else?"

"Remind me in the case that if I have any more kids, not to have 'the big talk' with them until they're _thirty. _You kids these days are way too smart."

Brittany perked up. "You want more kids?"

"Not right away, but I've thought about it off and on."

"Cool!" she cheered.

"Don't get all excited just yet," he said.

"Why? You're a good dad."

"How can you tell? Britt, I've only known about _you_ for a little over a few months. That doesn't give me much time to catch on to the whole fatherhood thing, considering the kid I have is far past the diaper stage."

"Yeah, it would be kind of funny to see you with a baby," Brittany giggled.

"Well, I don't think any of us has to worry about that for awhile," Paul replied. "I'm already a dad in training with you, and _that_ alone is a handful."


	26. Chapter 25 CONCLUSION

**Chapter 25**

As the months wore on, father and daughter began knowing each other well and they had grown closer. Try as she might, Brittany hadn't been very successful in bringing her parents together once and for all.

Though they _had_ slept together the night after Britt's birthday and then there had been the impromptu sex upstairs in the guest room during Brittany's wedding rehearsal dinner several years later, Lori Anne and Paul were in agreement that things would be better if they'd stayed apart and life went on as before.

They had Brittany in common, along with some other interests, but it was much better for both to remain friends and consult each other now and again when it came to anything involving their daughter.

Brittany eventually grew up to be a beautiful young woman, eventually meeting and marrying a Marine she had met at a party through one of her friends from college (that her father paid for her tuition as promised) shortly after Britt had graduated.

Six months later, Brittany discovered she was pregnant; both Cliff and Lori Anne had been thrilled at the news and Lori Anne happily helped her daughter prepare for the coming baby.

One afternoon as they prepared the nursery, Lori Anne had let out a snicker while thinking of things.

Paul. _Grandpa. _

She couldn't help but break out laughing.

"Mother, what is so funny?" Brittany asked. "You've had giggle fits practically all day."

"Nothing. Just thinking of your dad being a grandfather."

"What's so funny about that? Daddy loves kids. He'll be great."

"Britt, we haven't even seen your dad since he gave you away at your wedding. How do you know what he would or wouldn't do?"

"Oh my God, you haven't told him yet? Mother! It's been almost two months since I found out! You said you would tell him, being you talk to him more than I do."

"Serves him right for hiding the distributor cap to the car the day of your wedding, not to mention making a fool of himself by flirting with that nineteen year old waitress. I owed him one back anyway."

"I guess I may as well tell him myself then; he's going to know eventually anyway. And are you _still_ on that whole waitress thing? I swear if I didn't know any better that you were jealous."

"Of _what? _That your dad can make an ass of himself in public at will? Good lord, Britt."

"I don't know why you two don't just admit your feelings for each other, go to some remote place, screw each other's brains out, and then elope."

"Because at my age, I don't feel like raising another child, particularly a two hundred pound one. Besides, I get along better with him because we're _not_ married and he isn't under my feet twenty four hours a day."

"Good God, Mother, this charade of yours has gone on ever since I was ten. Give it up already. "

"What charade?" Lori Anne wondered. "Daddy and I are just friends and we're your parents. That's it."

"Mmmm hmmm," Brittany replied, skeptical

"I would have thought that now you're grown with your own child on the way, you'd given up that crazy idea of bringing your dad and I together. Britt, it isn't happening.. Besides, I'm marrying Cameron in August."

"All right then."

"He's a good man, Britt. He adores you, really likes Cliff, and is looking forward to the baby coming."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "As nice of a man Cameron is, Mother, please be reminded that I already have a father."

"Cameron isn't trying to be your dad, Britt. He knows where he stands on that and is perfectly fine with it."

"He is?"

"Of course. Actually, we invited your dad to the wedding."

"Oh that should be a three ring circus. The man you're marrying meets the man who knocked you up with me, not to mention had sex with you both the day after my eleventh birthday _and_ during my wedding rehearsal dinner. What a memorable day this should be."

"Don't be a smart ass. I'm sure Dad and Cameron will get along fine."

"Well, at least Daddy will know he has a grandchild coming by then. I'll be showing big time. In the meantime, maybe you can get some final nooky from Daddy before you make it official with Cameron."

"Very funny, Britt. But I don't think anything like that with your dad is going to happen again."

_The following August:_

In the coming months, Britt had gotten a job on the Creative Team; Paul was thrilled to be able to see his daughter more often as a result even though he was still getting used to the idea of being a grandparent. Though the ribbing from both his colleagues and Brian had driven him nuts, Paul thought perhaps being a grandfather wasn't such a bad thing.

Cliff had eventually returned home from his duty overseas, much to Brittany's joy and relief. The baby would be due in a couple of months, and it warmed her to know he would be there when their son was born.

Though Cliff had been taken aback when his mother in law had called off her wedding to Cameron, Brittany wasn't shocked in the least. As much as she had liked Cameron, she knew deep down he would never measure up to her father.

Plus, it hadn't helped much when she had seen her parents engaging in sex in the back seat of the car at her birthday party.

Britt never told Cliff what she had seen that day, but predicted it wouldn't be longer her mother would call off the wedding. And she was right.

Two weeks later, her parents eloped to Mexico. It looked like her mother was going to be raising that "second child" after all.


End file.
